Interlude
by LacusFan
Summary: My first Tsubasa fic. Syaoran and Sakura get a few moments alone. Please be so kind as to read and review. SPOILER WARNING.


**Disclaimer: Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicle (hereafter referred to as Tsubasa or TRC) is copyrighted to CLAMP, 2004. The anime adaptation is done by Bee Train. All trademarks, such as character names, belong to them.**

**I am neither a part of nor affiliated with either, so don't confuse me for the owner of Tsubasa or its characters.**

**A/N**

First up, **SPOILER WARNING.** Thought I'd get that out of the way right off the bat.

This is my first Tsubasa fic. I haven't seen the anime, though I am keep up with it through the greatest invention ever: _The Internet_. I have read manga volumes 1-6, 10, and 11 (I think) so this story could easily take place anytime after they leave Outo. All character names will have spellings to match the official US manga translation (Syaoran, Fai, etc.) published by Del Rey. I've seen other spellings here and there, so I just thought I'd give you all a heads-up and try to avoid confusion as much as possible.

The setting is between chapters, not too far after the group visits the country of Outo (where Syaoran learns to use the sword, in addition to lots of other happenings).

Don't know why I'm telling you this, since it'll probably end up abandoned like all my other non-Gundam fics.

**End A/N**

* * *

Fipp. 

Syaoran was becoming quite familiar with that sound. It always followed the 'swoosh' of Mokona's dimensional rifts. Syaoran noticed that it was a little different each time he heard it. It always gave him the impression of different kinds of fabric being torn, only in this case it was the fabric of space-time coming back together after being torn.

"Syaoran-kun?"

"You're awake?" He was more than a little surprised. And embarrassed. He always clutched her tightly as they traveled. "Sorry."

Sakura's face turned a shade of red that almost matched her companion's. "It's alright."

"You're usually asleep, and I wouldn't want you to fall and get hurt," Syaoran tried to explain. He gently laid her on the lush grass. "Forgive me, your highness."

They couldn't quite manage to maintain eye contact, like grade school children trying to avoid revealing a tender crush in front of their classmates.

"Mokona, stay with her. I'm going to look around." Perhaps it was the uncomfortable situation that kept him from noticing it earlier. Kurogane and Fai were nowhere in sight.

Sword at his side, Syaoran left the clearing to scout around. Coming to the tree line, he turned back in time to catch Sakura stealing a glance. Again, they blushed. Sakura looked every bit the medieval princess sitting amongst the fresh spring flowers, bathing in the morning light peeking through the tree leaves.

As much as he didn't want to leave her there, Syaoran though it would be for the best. She was tired, whether she would admit it or not. Though she didn't fall asleep as often lately, she would still nod off every time they found another feather.

_This is odd,_ Syaoran thought to himself. There were markings on a tree. _An animal? A sword?_

A few meters away there were two broken arrows. Each were made differently. The arrowheads were of different shape and size. The groves on the shaft were not similar. Even the feathers seemed to be from different kinds of birds.

_A fight, perhaps? Or a hunt?_ There was little time to ponder. If there was a chance of danger, he had to get back to Sakura quickly.

The sound of running water attracted his attention. It was a bit further away from the clearing than where he currently stood. There was plenty of dried tinder lying about. Syaoran could only marvel at their luck. Mother nature planned for their arrival by having heavy winter snows and ice storms in past months. Several limbs had broken off and were now dried out enough to easily make a fire.

Now they would have warmth and water. Now all they needed was food.

* * *

Sakura was fast asleep, dreaming peacefully in the flower patch. 

"Mokona watched everything," the little creature whispered excitedly. "Where are the others?"

"I don't know," Syaoran answered. "I saw signs of people not far from here, but I couldn't tell how long ago. Nor could I tell who they were or where they had gone to."

"See any good food?" Mokona hopped onto Syaoran's head as he knelt beside the princess.

"There is a river about fifty meters away. We might find some fish." Syaoran wore a weak smile trying to match the sweet smile that lit Sakura's face each time she slept. She was like that as a child whenever Syaoran was with her. _If only she could remember._

"_A price paid cannot be returned," _Syaoran could imagine the witch saying.

Mokona's chatter brought Syaoran back to the real world. "What?"

"I was saying that it's a good thing I insisted we come prepared." Actually Kurogane was the one who insisted, but Mokona didn't mind taking credit in his absence. Mokona hopped back to the ground making a hilariously serious face; one of action and determination. "Be prepared; just one of Mokona's 108 secret techniques."

"Right," Syaoran chuckled. "We would be lost without you."

They had enough to make a single tent and maybe a couple of crude fishing poles. Syaoran would need to find the wood for the poles in the forest. It would need to be strong and flexible. Maybe there would be some bamboo near the river.

"Don't worry, Syaoran. Mokona will help with everything."

"Mokona, is there a feather on this world?" He wondered why he hadn't bothered to ask that yet. This place was so similar to the world where they hadn't found one.

The white puff concentrated hard a moment or two before responding, "Nope."

"Then all we need to do is find the others and move on to the next world." One of Fai's comments floated through Syaoran's mind, _Think of this as a few moments to relax. You don't know when you'll get this chance again._

This could turn out to be like a vacation of sorts on their journey.

"Mokona, do you know how many feathers there are?"

"No, but Yuuko does. She will let us know when the time comes to finish our journey."

Mokona's confidence convinced Syaoran. The witch sure did seem like the type to know everything well in advance. "Is there a feather of me? One just for me that the Space-Time Witch is keeping as payment?"

"Mokona does not know."

"I doesn't matter. As long as she comes out of this alright, that's all that matters to me." The sun was now on the opposite side of the clearing from where it was when they arrived. "We should make camp while there's still light."

* * *

"Syaoran-kun?" Sakura sat up rather bewildered. 

"Yes, your highness?" He had been watching her from the opposite end of the fire. The sun had set an hour ago and fish were roasting on skewers.

"How did I get here? I don't remember."

"I had to carry you. I didn't think it safe for you to stay in such a visible location while I tried to gather food." Syaoran held out a sizable catch for her. "It's not much, but it was the best Mokona and I could come up with under the circumstances."

"Mokona helped!" The small creature danced off to the side before swallowing a fish whole.

"It's wonderful," she blushed taking a nibble. "Syaoran-kun, could I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Please call me Sakura-chan. Your highness and princess are too formal."

_Please call me Sakura,_ her words from long ago. "Of course, Sakura-chan."

Mokona pretended not to pay attention while swallowing another fish.

"And, I have another favor. I wish to know more about you." It had been bothering her off and on for a while now. "I know you can't be a stranger. You've gone through so much for me. Maybe . . ."

"Stop," Syaoran was firm. "You shouldn't try to remember."

"But . . ."

"I'm sorry. The more you think about it, the worse it'll be." _For both of us,_ he knew.

"Not even a little hint?" Sakura was gaining strength and determination. "I feel like this is something that I just have to know."

"Mokona thinks it's a bad idea, too." Mokona was now working on fish number three.

It was hard not to cry. This had come up once before and she passed out. "I'll tell you what I can, but when we're done you probably won't even remember this conversation in the morning. Just focus on what I tell you and try not to let your mind wander beyond that, okay?"

Sakura nodded. Again, her determination was evident.

He moved to sit next to her in preparation for the worst. "Something happened to you. I'm not sure what or even how to explain it. The High Priest believed that your heart was gone. You were growing colder by the minute; dying." Syaoran winced as she did. "He sent you with me to see the Space-Time Witch and instructed me to beg for her help. That's where I met Fai and Kurogane. Fai wanted to travel far from his home, Kurogane wanted nothing but to get back to his. I wanted to find your memories and save your life."

Sakura waited patiently as Syaoran took a few moments to think carefully about what he would say next. This was difficult for him and seeing that broke her heart, though she didn't know why.

"The three of us didn't have enough for payment to grant our wishes. Traveling dimensions is something very difficult and it was apparently a lot to ask of her. We each had to give up our most precious thing. Kurogane gave up a magic sword, Fai gave up a mark that allowed him to use magic."

"And what did you give up, Syaoran-kun?"

"Your memories of me." He watched as her eyes widened in realization.

The warmth she felt when with Syaoran was the same feeling she felt when she found a feather. And in each precious memory, there was a blank space as if someone should be there but wasn't. Sakura began to cry uncontrollably. "Syaoran," she fainted.

And just like the last time, Syaoran caught her.

"Mokona said that was a bad idea," Mokona sighed.

"I never could withhold anything from her if she asked." Syaoran fought back tears of his own.

"Love is funny like that," Mokona was uncharacteristically serious.

"You know the witch better than any of us. You probably know to what end this is all for. How will this turn out?"

"I cannot say. In many situations there are an infinite number of possibilities. Such possibilities are what create the different dimensions we travel to. However, in this case there are only two possible outcomes. Either it end happily, or it will end in tragedy. There can be nothing in between."

* * *

"Good morning, Syaoran-kun." Again, she awoke refreshed and energetic. 

"Good morning, Sakura-chan." He held her hand nearly all night. "Do you remember what happened last night?"

"Some of it. Just a little," her smile began to fade. And then Fai's words came back to her. _To Syaoran, your smile is like food to a starving man._

"I'm sorry. I couldn't let you suffer. And I'll remember for the both of us." He put on a smile to match hers.

Sakura tried hard to push the past from her mind. "I'll just have to get to know you all over again, Syaoran-kun."

"That's true."

"It shouldn't be hard," her smile shown brightly. "I feel as if I'm close to you already. Like we should be best friends."

"Yes," Syaoran nodded. Standing, he offered her a hand. "Ever been fishing?" He knew the answer, of course.

"Not that I can recall," Sakura shook her head. Her eyes narrowed in realization, "There is no place to fish in the desert."

He laughed, "Guess that was a trick question. Let me teach you."

"How did you learn?" She secretly hoped for some clue to his past. Even knowing that it was wrong, she couldn't shake such desires from her heart.

"My father taught me on one of our many travels." He wore a sad smile in remembrance. "He had a saying: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, but teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

"And now you'll teach me." Sakura took a pole and followed her companion.

It was a short distance to the river, but the brush was thick in places. More than once a stray limb had snapped back to strike one or the other. And being blind in one eye, Syaoran received a bad scratch on his right cheek.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not really."

"Be honest, Syaoran-kun."

"Okay, but only a little bit," he laughed. They had similar conversations often as children. Both could be quite rowdy and Syaoran wound up with most of the injuries, but not because of his handicap. He was always there and alert to catch her when she fell. He took the bumps and scrapes for her whenever possible.

"Here," Sakura kissed it the minute he admitted it. She did it without thinking, as if it was a reflex or a conditioned response. Her body just moved on its own without conscious thought. Her cheeks turned a pale pink. "Excuse me."

"It's alright," Syaoran looked away as she did. "It'll be just fine."

"Did you like it?" Sakura could hear her heart pounding. She had to swallow hard more than once to keep her heart from lodging in her throat.

"I . . ." Syaoran didn't get to finish.

A shout snapped them out of it. "Hey, don't stop on our account!" It was Fai

Fai and Kurogane were on the opposite bank of the river watching them. Sakura's mild pink blush turned into something more akin to crimson embarrassment.

* * *

**A/N**

I got this idea after reading volumes 5 and 11 (I think). It's not in the anime yet, but the party will get separated on arriving someplace (if they chose to animate those chapters). So anyway, it is entirely possible.

**End A/N**


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